Of Ark and Amity
by Chicken Yuki
Summary: Good Day to you all. The name's Hale, Angela Hale. I just wanted to share my own little tale of love, friendship, and some stuff you may not want to hear, but probably should. Oh, and a little about a jerk named Chase, and how I dealt with him. Yeah...
1. Howdy

**Disclaimer: **_All your Harvest Moon are belong to Marvelous Interactive._

_**Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility**_

_**Of Ark and Amity**_

Angela Hale here. I'm the new farmer at Waffle Island, in case you didn't know that about me, and I've been at it for over a year now. The place has it's perks for me: decent company, good food, and an overall peaceful atmosphere. This whole time I'm usually either working my butt off with the crops and animals, enjoying a tea or cocktail with my pals at the Sundae Inn, or fishing it out at Caramel Falls. And let me tell you about the fishing: it's total hit or miss from day to day. Either I'm catching more Hucheps than I thought possible, or I'm really lucky if I could catch just one lousy Rainbow Trout. With those bad days, not even a fresh dip in the hot spring can fix my frustrations, but luckily my dedication to the farm has made fishing less and less of a necessity for earnings.

It's not like these have been my only choices for money. Sure, there's foraging, but I was also glad to find out the stores were generous enough to let me work part time. Heck, this was how I made fast friends with the tailor family that moved in awhile ago. Granny Shelly welcomed me with open arms, of course, being the sweet old lady she was. Little Luna wasn't at all pleased with the smell of sheep poop I'd bring in every day, despite my best efforts at showering, but we were hitting it off as soon as she spontaneously loosened up on me. And Candace? How could you not like her? She's absolutely adorable! Only a complete and total prick would lay down the law on this unsuspecting gal… or a complete moron who could use more common sense, as I soon found out.

But of course, as I said, I've already been around here for over a year now, so some of this stuff isn't exactly recent. If you want the real update, let's just say some of the islanders have started pairing up to board Cupid's Ark of Love. First up was Renee and Toby, the latter being my best guy buddy. This must have been an anticipated marriage from the start, because the crowd went WILD at the ceremony. Next was Dr. Jin and Anissa, the medical duo. As fine a couple they make in retrospect, the conditions of the proposal that I had a first seat to had bothered me immensely, but their marriage so far looked like a strong and sincere one. Gill and Luna were next, and I was really cracking up with this one when they finally tied the knot. You thought Luna sounded rough? Gill was the grand overlord of pompousness, making every little calculated excuse possible for all the good deeds he pulls off. With their bad 'tudes put together, I wouldn't be surprised if fists were flying before the sparks did. I guess this is what the Japanese would call a regular pair of "_tsunderes_", whatever the heck that means.

So if you couldn't tell already, the options are starting to run thin for a single person. Man, this is starting to sound like the intro to a cheesy romance story. And I feel more like a girl on the sidelines more so than the heroine. I sure as hell hope I'm not the heroine, because…er… never mind. We'll reach that roadblock if I deem it necessary.

If there is any hint of this so-called "romance" in my life, to the islanders, it involves this prick of a chef named Chase, whom I personally like to think of as "Vanilla Douche", but I'll stick with his real name to avoid confusion. You see, some of the locals had the bright idea of bringing Chase and me together so many times, only for all hell to break loose. When I finally called them out on it, they told me they saw chemistry. All I see is a lame, greasy-haired snob who's quick with the verbal abuse. Sure, he has good moments, but he's unbelievably thick on why I hold this damn grudge against him. So many times I had the urge to shove one of his beloved oranges down his throat. Only one reason had kept me from doing this all this time. Only one. And even that is starting to wear thin on me…

Okay! It looks I've brought you up to speed, right? Good. Now we can move onto Present Day…


	2. Why Chase? Why?

"….h-here. Chase. Please take this!"

"A blue feather… What?! Are you popping the question? …Whoa! But, why…?"

"Because… I mean… I'm…in…in love… with you, Chase…"

"That's a lie. You don't love me, you love my cooking, right?"

"Huh?"

"How can you fall in love with somoene's cooking?"

"S-So what? What's wrong with falling in love with your cooking?!"

"Chase, you're mean, cruel, cold, and I hate you!"

"How am I to blame…?"

"But…but…your cooking is the best! I wanna eat your cooking every day…! I worked so hard to find that blue feather… Chase, you idiot!"

"I didn't say I wouldn't accept it, you airhead…"

"CHASE YOU ASSHOLE!!!!"

Um…. In case you were wondering, up to that last part, it was a little conversation I happened to catch between that twit Chase and a friend of mine named Maya earlier today. And if you haven't figured it out by my low opinion of him, that was me cutting in at the last minute. At that time, I was grabbing him by the collar with all my might. For all I know, he could be choking, but I could care less. All I wanted is that he lived long enough to answer for his stupidity before I make my next move… which could've very well been his last, as far as I'm concerned.

"Angela—gack!---wh-what are you---"

"You made Maya run off crying… AGAIN! What the hell is wrong with you, anyway? I know she can't cook, and she can be careless like that, but that isn't any reason to screw around with her like that!" I shouted in all my fury.

"Wha? Now you think I've been all flirty and going playboy on her?" he snapped back at me.

Appropriately, my "Noose-hands" of doom grew tighter, bring him ever so close to a gruesome execution.

"Do you really think NOW would be a good time to play that game with me?" I said back to him in a low, yet eerily composed tone.

I couldn't see my own smile at the time, but I could imagine it was pretty damn creepy considering the reaction I got out of ol' "Iron Chef" himself.

"Forcryin'outloudMayaproposedtomethenleftonherownbeforeIcouldgivearealresponsetothatditz!" He garbled frantically at me. Despite being one big sentence welded together, I got the gist of what he said. I owed it to him to understand it, being the one forcing him into speaking like this, afterall.

I gave him one tighter squeeze… just before I released his throat. Unfortunately, this is what a conscience can do to you.

"Come now, Chase" I said with a sigh while he was coughing up a storm, "was that last line necessary? _"You don't love me. You love my cooking, right?" _You know, I've heard you say a lot of stupid things. A lot of it was directed at me, in fact. But if there was anything that came out of that sleazy mouth of yours that made you sound like Class A dumbass, well then congratulations, I think we have a winner!"

Heck, I even tried to match his dumbass tone when I quoted him.

"Shut up! This isn't even your business! This is between her and me!" he argued.

And then I cocked an eyebrow.

"Even when said business resulted in a low blow to my best friend?" I argued back.

That guy gave me really funny look before he bowed his head following up with a big sigh.

"Fine, fine. Maybe this does concern you when figuring that in, but if you think about it, that's about the only logical reason that makes sense. You said it yourself, I apparently treat her like crap… even when I don't mind having her try out my cooking at times… so I really don't see why else she could like me if she enjoys her free samples so much." He explained.

"True enough", I said with a nod, "I have the strangest notion there'd be a lot of girls who'd go for that shameless mouth of yours where I come from. Heck, there's this television star I know that could make your berating of Maya sound like mushy diabetes, and people go for him. The thing is, I'm in the same boat as you as how the hell she'd fall for scum you like you, and if I heard you correctly before I busted in…. you actually like her back?"

This caused the once-proud chef to turn red, swallow hard, and- dare I say- sweat? This is not a reaction I've ever seen come from this guy, folks.

"I-I-If that airhead had just hold still long enough, I would have just accepted it, anyway!" he stammered.

And so, I have just witnessed a new side to this guy. Had I been any other girl, I'd probably be thinking to myself how cute it was. Instead, I couldn't help but think how truly dumb he could be.

"Chase… if you REALLY thought about it logically, I doubt she'd be going for you just for your cooking. I mean, come on, her mom was a good cook, and her grandma was an ace gourmet. I don't see the girl oozing really weird incest. And then there's the fact that I've been whipping up a few good chocolate fondues for her ever since I figured out the darn recipe. Do you see her wanting to make mad lesbian love to me?" I blatantly spelled out for him.

Chase just stood there, completely dumbfounded. It was like he was suddenly smacked in the face with an elephant and he didn't know how or why.

"Not only that, you pretty much set her up to play along! How do you think she would have went on had you not blurted that cooking thing out?! How do you think it would have played out if she decided to insist she was in love with you for more than that? She even called you an idiot herself! And that's a pretty huge testament to your overall stupidity if you ask me! Oh man, I could just imagine it now if she had decided to play it straight:

"_No, Chase! I really do love you! For much more than that!"_

"_Nope, uh-uh. I'm Iron Chef Chase, Master of Everything, and I still don't believe you or your awful cooking. Begone from my sight, foul wench."_

"_You meanie!"_

Maya's heart gets broken. Rocks Fall! Everyone Dies! The End."

I don't know if I could get an academy award for that performance, but I'm pretty sure Chase's dialogue there isn't much of a stretch.

"Okay, okay! I get your point! But did you have to be so damn over the top with that performance?" he grumbled.

"Yes" I said immediately.

Okay, so maybe I was being a huge ham, but it least got the message through. And it amused me. And that's all that mattered in the end.

After briefly exchanging death glares of doom, the both of us went back to Rational Mode.

"So, how do you suggest I fix all of this, oh "Wise One"?" he asked me in a sarcastic tone.

"Um… go out there, apologize to Maya, and just accept her proposal like you should have done in the first place?" I suggested.

Hearing that, Chase just stared off to the side and clenched his fists. Yes, Chase, that's how easily this could have all been resolved. Let the realization of your own stupidity sink in.

"F-fine." He uttered.

"So then what the heck are you waiting for now? Go to her! Mush!" I commanded.

The messy-haired creep grumbled a few things, then finally took off to fix things with Maya.

So hopefully, this may have cleared up a few things by now, but I'll be happy to elaborate in case you missed it.

If you're still wondering why I hate Chase so much, it's because of how big of a douche bag he's been to Maya, my best friend of all people, for the longest time. As much of a crazy ditz she can be, she always tries her hardest at whatever matters most to her, and she's always trying to lighten the mood with her friendliness. Of course, Chase just had to come in and stomp on that while shredding whatever bit of self-confidence she had left not only at cooking, but at life in general. Right, there's nothing more refreshing in the morning than waking up to working and meeting a co-worker who basically tells you "YOU FAIL AT LIFE" everyday. Really hot stuff here.

Which, of course, leads to the reason why I've spared his dirtbag life this whole time, too: I knew Maya was in love with that fool the whole time. You know how best friends like keeping secrets with each other, right? She told me this in the beginning, much to my very big disbelief. Well, I thought she was being really weird, so from then on out, I decided to protect her from the guy and from hurting herself in the painfully slow wooing process, but it turned out from this experience that I wasn't exactly the best shield for her. She was persistent enough as to decide on questing for that blue feather! Imagine my surprise when she told me about her proposal plan yesterday! But… even though the guy finally opened up about his own feelings, I'm still worried how it may turn out should they go on with the marriage. I mean, he sucked this much with one misunderstanding. At this rate, what the hell is going to result in the next one? But I have to give this some chance to work out. This is my best friend, after all.

At the very least, I did learn today that Chase actually does have a soft spot for Maya after all. He just expresses it in the most mind-numbingly dense way possible, which therefore makes HIM fail at life. While I gotta love these convenient equations, it does show me that there's hope for those two after all. Maybe if he loosened up a little, got some better communication skills, add some more affection to those free samples he's been giving her, and maybe actually give her an obvious compliment every now and then, their relationship can make it. I'd just rather not think about how their family life could play out if the children they might have end up cooking as poorly as Maya. That poor progeny's going to grow up hating their Daddy more than I do….

So you think this story's done and over with now that I helped fix some half-assed romance? Not quite yet. Actually, there's just one more tidbit I'd like to share that happened later that day at Caramel Falls. I figured I might as well get this off my chest while I'm at it…


	3. That's Life

A few hours after my little tassel with Chase, I arrived at the Falls to meet with Toby on his day off. He may not be the most proactive man around, but the guy's uncanny wisdom tells me he's reliable when it matters most, like having someone to talk to, in this case.

Being the active type myself, some of you may not get why I'd really look forward to one of the least active past-times around, and why I'm not using this time to go off gallivanting with Luke and Kathy to get my blood going. To be honest, I don't get it myself. But you know, there a dozen or so manly folk that get a kick out of something as slow-moving as this… er, not that I'm trying to be manly myself, mind you. But hey, I dare you to take a good look at Ozzy from the local fish stop and tell me he isn't somewhat rugged! Again, not trying to be all mountain girl here.

Old silver-hair greeted me with a wave while I returned the gesture in kind. Then I stood right next to him, whipped out my trusty rod of gold pre-equipped with the proper bait, and threw it out there to wait for my bite.

"Nice to see you able to make it out here, Angela." He told me with a grin.

"Same, here, Toby. I'm still trying to get use to ostrich travel, but I'm glad I was finally able to raise that bird to adulthood. Man, that thing is fast!"

"I actually pegged you as more of a horse person with Kathy, but I should have figured you would go for the more unusual choice." He told me with a chuckle.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" I shouted.

"Nothing, really…" he told me casually, "So then, how was your day?"

Despite the fact that he avoided the question, I figured I might as well go with his flow of discussion since I know he wouldn't give me a straight answer on that.

"Oh, right! It looks like Waffle Island might be getting its next hot couple... apparently because of me." I told him.

The guy came pretty close to opening his eyes as he cocked his head to the side. A shame this didn't get squinty-eye's attention enough to see what he's been hiding from me this whole time.

"Really? Who?"

"Heh, Maya and Chase."

"Chase, hm? I'm surprised you of all people would allow this, let alone get them together. You're not too pleased with him, and you're really protective of Maya." He explained to me.

"No kidding. Maya went all reckless with her proposal, and it looked like Chase got super jerkass over the whole thing. I was about to finally kick his can when he finally stopped being an idiot about his feelings. Could you imagine how shocked I was when he confessed to me that he actually likes her? Part of me is still doubting the whole thing, but… I don't know. I'm thinking if there's at least something between them, they might as well give it a shot. Maya's been bugging me with how much he really likes the guy and the stuff she sees in him that I'd want a microscope to confirm. At least she was right about him being shy."

"You did have a few similar complaints about Gill, but you warmed up to him pretty quickly." he pointed out.

"Yeah, but unlike Chase, Gill isn't unadulterated douchebag material. At least he's trying to be productive with his attitude, unlike that sadist. And you knew how I was with Luna; her rudeness actually made me laugh. There's a limit to how far rudeness can go, and old messy-hair's just plain abusive. Man, that guy better clean up his act or else he'll have more on his plate than gourmet, like his own just desserts." I scoffed.

"As overzealous as that anger of yours is getting, at least it shows how much you care for your friend." Toby said with a shrug.

"Yeah, yeah. Maya's just naïve like that. Just one look at her and you know she needs all the protection she can get. If you thing Chase alone was bad enough, just imagine what it would be like if there were admirers of him infesting the island. It'd go down worse than a zombie flick, and I'd have to go all "Evil Dead Ash" on em'." I smirked.

"Who?"

"Uh… never mind. Anyway, what I mean is that Maya can be a tad clumsy and a little weird, but she's still one of the best friends I could ever hope for. She'll actually sit still long enough to listen to me, and the poor girl's been trying to make everyone feel good with her cooking. It's really refreshing to see genuine innocence like her's for some reason."

"Funny that you happen to mention that when we're in one of the most peaceful places around." Toby noted.

"Oh, come on! Adulthood can still be tiring no matter where you are! I'm just saying that it can be cool to have a childlike perspective to interact with. And I'm not saying this to demean her or anything; she can come off pretty smart and mature when she feels like it."

"The point is, you like her for who she is, right?"

"Exactly," I said with a nod. "That's the reason you should be making friends with someone in the first place, isn't it? She does a bang-up job looking for the good in things, too. That's probably how he caught onto whatever he likes about Chase. Maybe she'll be the one that can finally straighten out that tool. It wouldn't hurt to see him be a decent human being for once."

"Of course, with that said, you realize your potential partner options are dwindling even more. I know Chase isn't exactly at the top of your list, but still…" Toby suddenly brought up.

"Then let it dwindle. Just have the island go on cruise control with the love boat and let me enjoy the view from the beach."

"Yeah, I've noticed this… you don't seem particularly interested in anyone on Waffle Island, do you?"

I quickly fixed up my posture and gave him a sudden look.

"Toby, my man, it wasn't exactly that different back home, either," I responded.

"I see…" Toby said with understanding, " At first I had thought whatever was going on, it might have been with Maya, but you came off too casual to have been in denial. When I look back, you described everyone you were close with like a good friend without becoming the slightest bit awkward. You have a very steady flow about you… nothing turbulent at all in terms of matters of the heart."

I couldn't help but laugh at how spot he was on all of this. Frankly, there really wasn't any weight that needed any lifting from my shoulders, but that's how it felt like when Toby caught on. He has a weird habit of making you feel more relieved then how you should be, but maybe it wasn't so bad in my case.

"That's how it's been my entire life, you know: No childhood crushes, No first or second loves or any sort of exciting life encounter. I wasn't exactly a romantic back in the day, nor am I now, but none of it ever really bothered me. All I was left with most of my life was a curiosity of why. I had a good family, you know. And there wasn't any tragic rape story that made me go numb. The only people I closed myself off to were the ones I thought were jerks, but otherwise, I was a pretty likable girl back at school. I was just comfortable with everybody, and I liked being that way. Of course, my gal pals kept telling me I had a sure shot at finding Mr. Right somewhere down the line, but even the sweetest guy I knew from High School couldn't get me to feel that way. And having to deal with girls in the locker room day in and day out without a reaction quickly got rid of the notion that I might have been a lez. Call me crazy, but maybe this is just how I naturally am." I confessed.

"Life and nature work in mysterious ways, you know. I have no reason to doubt what you told me." Toby casually replied.

"Well, of course YOU of all people would tell me that, Mr. Go-with-the-flow, but I guess that's why I like you. Sure has hell made saying this all the more easier. Imagine what would happen if I told one of the girls on this island? They'd probably hound me until I found the right match. Not like I haven't been doing that myself this whole time. I proclaimed this island being my last chance at finding any sort of hint of interest in me, romantic or otherwise, but nothing came up. Not even with Maya, despite all you just spelled out."

"I'm glad to be of service, then." Toby answered with a wider grin.

"And I'm glad to be served." I said back in kind.

Of course, right then I had to get my first hit of the day all of a sudden. Toby decided to lend some help by loaning me an arm as the both of us pulled with all our might. It took nearly all of our strength combined to keep the fighting going, but eventually, we found the opportunity to pull this thing out of the water. After all that flailing, our precious reward ended up being one hell of a whopper of a Huchep. Personally, I would have thought it would make this story more amusing if it were some stray boot or something, but it's really pointless to complain about the one that didn't get away, now is it?

"Whew! Oh man! I thought my rod was going to snap at first! This fish is HUGE!"

"You're lucky to have such a sturdy rod. Had it been any weaker, it likely would have snapped as you said." Toby observed. "Still, congratulations."

"Hey, you helped! You deserve some of the credit in this too, partner!" I cheered.

"It's still your catch," he insisted, "Don't worry about me, I've been having a steady flow of catches since Matt was born. Maybe Mother Nature's showing some sympathy for my newfound fatherhood."

"Wait. MATT? You named your son Matt? Why didn't you take my suggestion and name him Char? With a name like that, he'd be as awesome as an ace fighter pilot who can make anything three times better with a red paint job! Plus, it's also the name of an actual fish, and that fits along your line of work, right?"

"Angela? I didn't think it sensible to give him the same name as a fish…" Toby said to me with a sigh. "As interesting a back story "Char" had to offer, I thought it would be better to come up with my own name."

"Come on, now! Matt? It's such a plain name, really. Your birth name was Tao, right? I don't know why you insist having people call you Toby when "Tao" is such an easier name to say." I grumbled.

"It was by Uncle Ozzy's suggestion, and it just stuck." Toby said with a shrug.

"Have you ever read "Roots"?"

"I don't think relative back stories should play a prominent role on your impression towards someone. Besides, Matt is a fine name. And Renee agreed with me, so I see no problem."

"That's because Renee can be such a doormat at times. "Char" and "Matt" are both one syllable names, I don't see how the former would be any more difficult than the second."

"Aside from "Char" sounding like a fish?" Toby astutely refuted.

If any of you met Toby before this, I bet you thought he does drugs or something. No, clearly this conversation makes it sound like I stole said drugs and allowed him to rationalize on a level higher than Confucius. Damn his wit.

"Fine, fine. I doubt you'll win Father of the Year by denying your son such a sweet name, but if "Matt" means that much to you…"

"Even Matt likes his name. He always looked happy when I say it to him, so I don't think he minds so much, easier."

"It's because you got him hooked to the name. Had I come in and expose him to "Char" first, I bet you anything he'd be crying his little eyes out until you called him by the right name." I argued.

"Angela…"

"AH! Okay! I'll stop!"

Seriously, I was prepared to defend the name "Char" to the end with this guy. Unfortunately, the end came much sooner then I expected. Man, he's good.

"So, how's little "Matt" holding up?" I said, while still emphasizing my grudge on the name.

"Oh, he's been doing just fine. I'm sorry you missed it, but he actually started walking just the other day." He reported.

"WHAT?! Cha---er, Matt started walking? Already? He's moving up in the world really fast. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts talking next week. It's like he's learning his basics _three weeks faster _than most babies, eh?" I told him with a nudge and a wink.

Toby sighed at my persistence, but decided to move on with the conversation anyway.

"Yes, Young Matt's a bright boy, alright. I was told I was picking up on these things pretty fast as a baby myself, but I'm convinced that Matt's outdoing me. Goes to show you how the future generation can improve, huh?"

"You sure sound proud of the little guy." I smirked.

"Thanks. Some of the islanders out there were a little nervous with the idea of me being a husband, and now a dad. And I understand. Many see my napping habits and patience as unreliable qualities in a man, and Uncle Ozzy made that clear. But it's just because I saw no real responsibilities to deal with until now. Of course, now is a huge responsibility. I have a family to raise, a wife and newborn son to take care of. But I have to do this at my own pace, or it won't work at all. I won't rely too heavily on parenting books. Something tells me I have to rely on my instincts, much like they served me during fishing. I don't intend to let anyone down."

When I heard Toby say all of that, I think it was the first time I ever heard him sound so serious. It was a little weird, I must admit, but at least it assured me he was up to the task of being the Papa Bear. I think fatherhood's slowly changing him… or maybe it was bringing out a side of him that was waiting for this point in time to take over? I don't know. But what I know for sure is that standing before me is a man ready to be a parent. And it's pretty cool. Actually, I'm starting to get jealous of Matt for having a father like him. Sure, my old man was decent himself, but it's hard to beat having a wise guy like Toby for a father.

"Spoken like a true father…" I said while clapping my hands.

"It was nothing. I was merely sharing how I feel." Toby replied calmly. "Still, I think it's a shame you won't be taking up parenting in the future yourself. I think you'd make a great mother yourself. And since you liked the name "Char" so much, maybe you could have given to a son of your own."

"Hey, hey! I know I'm going to missing out on some things going down my own path, but I'm not feeling any regrets! I'm not really loosing out on having a family of my own. As cheesy at it sounds, I already got one, and it's with you guys on the island. But if you insist on me taking over a motherly role, how about you let me be Matt's nanny every once in a while?"

Toby looked a little reluctant at the offer at first, but then he gave me the nod.

"Sure, as long as you don't conspire to have him adapt the name "Char" behind my back."

"Hey, don't worry, Papa Toby! That's not how I do things! If he decides to adopt "Char" as a nickname instead, he's going to do so of his own free will. I'll just have to be a cool enough Auntie for him to want it." I taunted him.

The two of us then adopted to firm stances as we exchanged antagonizing death glares of doom, but that didn't really last too long when we both started cracking up.

Ironically, Toby went on to catch copious amounts of Char that afternoon. Clearly, this was a sign that the Harvest Goddess agreed with me.

I, on the other hand, caught two more Huchep and a Rainbow Trout until the falls ran dry for me. It may not be a whole lot quantity-wise, but these few fish were going to rake in the gold for me.

That's the whole tale, really. From here on out, Chase and Maya just might be getting hitched, Toby's going to have a lot of Char to provide for his family, and I'm going to grow up to become Waffle Island's Greatest Spinster. And don't you dare diss the label! I happen to think "spinster" sounds really cool!

Of course, there are still a few unresolved relationships on the island, and I have yet to figure out a majority of them. I guess that'll give me something to do while I'm not out farming. It always bugged me how Gill was a bit too eager in having the couples make babies, but I suppose this was one of the few wishes I can help fulfill. Looks like I'll be on my own little "Love Crusade" in the mean time.

But seriously, folks. Don't feel sorry for me. I'm not making this a request. I'm insisting on it. I've the jist of things worked out in my head, and I'm sure I'll be just fine. Toby told me everything's okay, and I trust the man's wisdom. Like I said, I already got my family here on the island, and I'd rather aim for genuine happiness than falsify an ideal fantasy here. Of course, my one last obstacle will be trying to explain all of this to my other friends. It's going to be a little tough. Maya, especially, is a pretty big romantic and I just know how it'll turn out if I can't spell it out for her. But again, she can be the understanding type on a good day. I'll just have to confront her at full force when that good day arrives… as I will have to with everybody else.

To be honest, I'm not even sure if you yourself really got any of this towards the end, but thanks for listening. If you did, kudos for you! If not, then again, there's a lot of thanks I owe you just for listening.

Adios, mi amigo. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a certain idiot chef to watch over and make sure he doesn't screw up again…


End file.
